Skin lightening products help reduce the pigmentation of the skin and also hiding scars, acne, discoloration, age spots, and pimples. It increases the person’s confidence and boost self-esteem by hiding their imperfection. They can hide their wrinkles, spots on the face by using skin lightening products. It can also make the person look more attractive and alluring.

Melanin is a pigment which is responsible for our skin colour. It is produced by melanocytes, which are specialized cells. People with light skin have less melanin and people with dark skin have more melanin. Melanin quantity in one’s body depends on a genetic makeup. Skin lightening products help in reducing this pigment on the skin. It equals the skin tone so that the skin looks radiant, brighter, smoother and glowing. The potential of this product is increasing due to challenging lifestyle of consumers.

Skin Lightening Products Market: Drivers & Restraints

Skin lightening products aren’t famous or limited to women, but also among men too. Personal grooming is gaining a lot of popularity and men aren’t ashamed to be called as ‘Metrosexuals’. The desire to look fair and have even skin toned are the most important driving factors for skin lightening products. There’s a sea change in consumer habits and companies are emphasizing more on social media and digital advertising to lure consumers. Increasing demand from emerging nations like Africa and India is most of skin lightening products.

Though skin lightening products are desired and are lot in demand, but it has a lot of constraints too, which sometimes compels us not to use it because of its hazardous after effects. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), skin bleaching products can cause blood cancer such as leukemia, liver and kidney cancer and could also result in severe skin conditions. They have also reported that few companies use harmful toxins illegally such as mercury, metal that blocks the properties of melanin. Perhaps they are catering to the demand of consumers, but with a lot of risk.

Skin Lightening Products Market: Segmentation

Skin Lightening products are broadly classified on the basis of the following segments -

By Product types:

Organic

Natural

Conventional

By Sales Channel Type:

Retailers

Wholesaler

Online Purchase

Others

Skin Lightening Products Market: Overview

The skin lightening products market has grown substantially at a healthy CAGR due to increase per capita spending on beauty and wellness products, rising standard of living, strong desire among men and women to look fair. With rapid technological advancement and variety of options available in the market, skin lightening products market is expected to grow. Japan represents the largest market for this product category. Asia Pacific will emerge as the fastest growing region for skin lightening products.

The skin lightening market is expected to register a double-digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, the skin lightening market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. As of 2015, Asia Pacific dominated the global skin lightening products market in terms of market revenue. China and India are the fastest growing market. There’s a robust demand from the Middle East for skin lightening products. The skin lightening products market is small in Europe as compared to Japan and other Asian countries.